Chapter 16: Long Black Car

"So how was your day?"

"Obviously not as good as yours. What is going on in here?" Veronica asked, staring at a very strange sight in her house, not to mention a little too eager Logan standing in the door way looking like he was headed out.

"We're redecorating…remodeling…a little of everything."

"Why are there boxes everywhere?"

"Well…"

Veronica looked around at the complete disarray their apartment was in and shook her head. The walls were stripped, there were boxes everywhere, it appeared that they had just moved in all over again.

"…we're sort of…moving."

"Moving? Logan…what the he…"

"Calm down. It's okay. By the time you return from work Monday, it will all be handled, plus, we won't even have to deal with it this weekend, so..."

"I am not sure I want to know…but what will be 'handled' and what do you mean we won't have to deal with it this weekend?"

"The move."

"Seriously, Logan, I've had a very long day…a long week. You need to explain," Veronica groaned as she threw her messenger bag down on the couch.

"Connie has some keen interest in these town homes lately. She said if I painted a little, remodeled the kitchen and bathrooms, that I could make a hefty profit on it. Plus…I saw this little cottage I liked today…"

"Logan? Did you…?"

"Yeah, so I bought a house."

Veronica shook her head and massaged it with her right hand, the thoughts of her tumultuous week rolling around hard inside it.

She flashed back through the week's events…

She had almost forgotten about the weekend's mysterious phone calls when she arrived at FBI Headquarters Monday morning. Then…it started. She received a mysterious text message to go to some unknown room in the basement. She would've been concerned if you didn't need biometric scanner clearance for every door in the building. She knew it could be faked, but something told her she was safe. When she arrived, she found Special Agent Fuller waiting on her, along with a couple of other Agents she had met before but never quite caught their names. The door shut loudly behind her and suddenly she felt like she was back in 6th grade standing in front of the Principal for pants-ing the boy unlucky enough to piss her off that day.

"Welcome, Ms Mars."

"Uh….what…"

"As previously discussed…you are here for a very specific reason. You were allowed to come here this summer because you are an asset. You are going to help us bring down a major player in the Russian mob – one of the biggest crime syndicates in Chicago."

Suddenly it became clear to Veronica.

"The Sorokins?"

"Yes. Apparently you made yourself a pain in someone's ass in that family, and they are interested enough to tail you."

"They've been tailing us?"

Suddenly the room began to close in on her. She couldn't even think about being humiliated by the fact that someone at the FBI had seen her now infamous video. She was more concerned that Gory Sorokin and his goons might actually be stalking her and Logan.

"Yes, but don't worry – they won't get close enough to hurt you. We've been watching, too."

"So, what do you need me for?"

"You've shown some promise at handling difficult situations, so we're fairly certain we can train you to help take these thugs down. We lure in whoever is following you – we catch a few small fish – maybe we use them to catch some big fish."

Veronica tried to process it all.

"So, if it wasn't for my…run-in with the Sorokins, I wouldn't be here?"

Agent Fuller looked her square in the eye, and Veronica knew he was telling the truth.

"You were excepted before all that, right?"

"Yeah, I was."

"So, obviously someone thought you were worth the risk. Now, are you going to do here what you came to do, or can I send you out to a desk somewhere to learn how to fetch coffee and run background checks?"

Veronica smiled.

"I already know how to run a background check."

Agent Fuller smiled, knowing his instincts about this girl were dead on.

"Then let's get to work."

"Are you okay, Ronnie? I'm sorry, I should have asked first, I know, but…"

"No, Logan, it's okay. I'm not mad, it's just…unexpected. I was kind of looking forward to relaxing this weekend, it's been a rough week at work. How am I going to get all my stuff packed between now and Monday?"

"Remember when I said you didn't have to worry about it this weekend?"

"Yeah—how does that work?"

"Well, we're leaving."

"What? Logan, look I'm really not in the mood…"

"I figured. You've looked pretty stressed every night when you got home, so I thought you could use a little r-and-r. We're going on a little weekend getaway—I've already got everything we need packed. The movers come in and get everything else we need that isn't staying here, and I whisk you off to work Monday morning, and when you come home—everything will be all set…just in a new home."

"Logan," Veronica began, trying to remain calm, though she felt her face getting red with the rise in her blood pressure. "I thought you were growing up…maturing. And you just up and decide to buy a house—completely out of the blue – uproot us and the order we have semi-established here and you think that you can just whisk me away for a weekend and it will be okay?"

She was mad, or at least she thought she was. She was ready to explode, but she looked into Logan's eyes. He just looked at her with those big brown eyes that were afraid of no one and nothing and that had captivated her more times than she could count. He just shrugged.

"Yeah, pretty much."

Instead of punching him square in his face like she thought she wanted to do…she laughed. She couldn't help it. She laughed uncontrollably and had to grab the couch to keep herself upright. She grabbed her waist with the other arm as Logan just stared.

"Veronica?" Logan asked, not sure what he should do at this point.

"Fine, Logan. Just fine. I don't know why I am surprised. I guess parts of you will never change. And, really, I'm not sure I'd want them to. A weekend getaway sounds pretty good – as long as you're serious about the R & R part of it. I assume the car is packed, too?"

The sheepish grin on Logan's face told her everything she needed to know. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him toward the door as she grabbed her bag.

"Let's go, loverboy."

"Loverboy?"

"Darling? Honey? Pudding?"

"Loverboy it is," Logan said, closing the door behind them.

They settled into the Range Rover and buckled up. As Logan pulled out of the parking lot of the complex, Veronica noticed the three distinct vehicles on the street that warranted her attention. They were all there.

Funny, here in Washington – everyone drives a black something-or-other. They blend, at least.

She was pretty sure everyone else was oblivious to the three vehicles staked out around her townhouse. She, at least hoped they were. Especially Logan. She noticed the black SUV fall in behind them right away. The guys in the Lincoln were thoroughly confused, though, and took a while to figure out what was going on. They were nearly at the freeway before she saw them catch back up. She didn't, however, see the Charger. She groaned ever so slightly as not to alarm Logan. She guessed that somewhere on the vehicle they were riding in was an inconspicuous GPS tracker.

"What's the matter, Sugarpuss? Are you mad at me still?"

"What? No, no, Logan. I am not mad. I never was. Just a little…surprised, that's all. I don't know why, though. It's so…."

"Me?"

"Yep. That's it. I'm just taking it all in. It's been a crazy week at the Bureau, so…"

"Damn, I'm sorry, V. You said that when you walked in the door, and I blew you off. Tell me about your week."

Veronica thought long and hard about what to tell him. She hated keeping things from him, now. They were finally at that good place – that PERFECT place she had wanted to be so long. They were honest and open, and it was great. But she couldn't tell him everything that was going on at the FBI. She was fully wrapped up in a huge Russian mob investigation that she was pretty sure was going to lead to her getting smack dab in the middle of dangerous ground, and Logan would have a coronary if he knew. Plus, she was specifically told not to involve him.

"Just a lot of cases. Sorry, they're all very top secret," she said with a grin, pulling some of his old tricks on him. Tell him the honest truth, but make him think you don't mean it. She wasn't sure if she could pull it off, because, let's face it, Logan was THE expert at doing that.

"Oh, I'm sure. They just let some college freshman bust in the door and join an organized crime task force."

Veronica breathed deeply.

Here we go.

"Yep. That's it. Next week I'm to be kidnapped, threatened at gun point, and escape all in a matter of 48 hours."

"I'll just bet," Logan smiled, taking the bait.

"So where are we going?"

"Um…the beach."

"The beach? The beach beach? Sand, ocean, and all?"

"Yeah. Sand, ocean, and all."

"Aww, it'll feel like home. Sorta."

"I thought it might. Although, the Atlantic beaches are totally different from the Pacific beaches. Some day, I'm gonna take you to the beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. They're the most beautiful. I can just imagine you and me rolling in that blinding white sand…"

"Logan, focus," Veronica laughed.

"Oh, I am," he grinned.

"So exactly what beach are we going to?"

"Rehobeth Beach in Delaware. I did my homework. Got us a little rental on a quiet stretch—just you, me, the ocean…you…me…"

"Um, I think I get it."

"Oh, you will."

"Is that all you ever think about? Sex?"

"Well, pretty much."

Veronica groaned, thinking maybe Logan hadn't changed so much after all.

"But not just sex. Only sex with you. And not sex—making love."

"Damn that is cheesy," she laughed, looking at Logan.

He got quiet.

"I'm not kidding, Veronica."

Her smiled faded.

"I know, Logan. I get it, I do…"

"I'm not sure you do, Ronnie. I've been with others, you know that. I've had enough sex to last a lifetime. But I never want to have sex again. Do you understand me? I only want to make love to the love of my life…you."

Veronica was speechless. Coming from the sex-crazed Logan Echolls, that was the most amazingly romantic and sweet thing he had ever said. And it was a profound statement of deep commitment. And it wasn't lost on Veronica.

"Wow," she said in an almost whisper.

"Well, damn."

"What?"

"I just shut up the biggest blabbermouth in the world. I just shut up Veronica Mars."

"Yes. Yes, you did."